Julie Fowlis's whistle?

mman · Post by **mman** » Thu Jun 12, 2008 7:16 pm

OK. I guess I have my answer. Though it appears she's used others in the past.

Eb? Not D? I wonder why.

arnie · Post by **arnie** » Thu Jun 12, 2008 11:59 pm

fearfaoin wrote:Depends. In this clip it looks like a Feadog.

But in this picture, it looks like a Chieftain:

It's an Overton, probably in A.

jemtheflute · Post by **jemtheflute** » Fri Jun 13, 2008 12:28 am

mman wrote:it appears she's used others in the past.

Haven't we all?

fearfaoin · Post by **fearfaoin** » Fri Jun 13, 2008 7:06 am

mman wrote:Eb? Not D? I wonder why.

Sometimes people play in Eb because it sounds "brighter", especially
when recording. Though, I doubt she uses an Eb exclusively.

Adrian W. wrote:Maybe we could turn this into a "what whistle did she USED to play?" thread? Cause that's no Cheiftain in the Transatlantic Session videos on Youtube.

I was trying to find a good Transatlantic video with her playing whistle,
but I couldn't. Would you be kind enough to post a link?

scheky · Post by **scheky** » Fri Jun 13, 2008 7:58 am

arnie wrote:
fearfaoin wrote:Depends. In this clip it looks like a Feadog.

But in this picture, it looks like a Chieftain:

It's an Overton, probably in A.

Actually Arnie...read up. It's a Chieftain.

Adrian W. · Post by **Adrian W.** » Fri Jun 13, 2008 9:01 am

I was trying to find a good Transatlantic video with her playing whistle,
but I couldn't. Would you be kind enough to post a link?[/quote]

Here's one to get you started.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2oOIw5A ... re=related .....there are at least four from the sessions with Julie Fowlis, including one with Jenna Reid. This one has a whistle solo in there. Mike McGoldrick is on them all as well, also Donal Lunny, Aly Bain, lots of good people.

I must haste....back to Youtube duty to figure out what whistle that is in the video.....I swear that's the only reason I watch the darn things.

Craig Stuntz · Post by **Craig Stuntz** » Fri Jun 13, 2008 9:19 am

mman wrote:Eb? Not D? I wonder why.

It's very common for Scottish musicians to play in E flat. The Great Highland Bagpipes are tuned, approximately, to A mixolydian, which corresponds to E flat major. For example, when the Tannahill Weavers play live, the entire band tunes up to E flat.

fearfaoin · Post by **fearfaoin** » Fri Jun 13, 2008 11:39 am

Adrian W. wrote:Here's one to get you started.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2oOIw5A ... re=related

That one also looks like a Feadog to me, possibly a C.
I did a couple of still captures.

colomon · Post by **colomon** » Fri Jun 13, 2008 12:26 pm

Craig Stuntz wrote:
mman wrote:Eb? Not D? I wonder why.
It's very common for Scottish musicians to play in E flat. The Great Highland Bagpipes are tuned, approximately, to A mixolydian, which corresponds to E flat major.

A mix corresponds to D major. But while pipes are notionally in A, I believe they are commonly tuned as much as a half-step sharp, meaning Bb or Eb would be an appropriate choice of whistle.

Craig Stuntz · Post by **Craig Stuntz** » Fri Jun 13, 2008 12:28 pm

colomon wrote:But while pipes are notionally in A, I believe they are commonly tuned as much as a half-step sharp, meaning Bb or Eb would be an appropriate choice of whistle.

Right.

kenny · Post by **kenny** » Fri Jun 13, 2008 12:45 pm

None of you people bought Julie's CDs, then ? Her 1st CD [ best CD of Scottish music I've heard in the last 10 years ] says on the back of the sleeve notes that she plays "Chris Abell high whistles". That was in 2005.
Couldn't find any mention of makers on her 2nd CD from last year. Of course, she plays others, as you can see from the photos. Does look like an Overton A to me, but I'm never really that bothered about makes of whistle, and certainly no expert.
Seriously, I do recommend Julie's recordings, although I do wish she'd play the whistle a bit more. There are more tune sets on the 1st, ""Mar A Tha Mo Chridhe", than the 2nd, "Cuilidh".
An instrumental recording from her at some time in the future would be great.

fearfaoin · Post by **fearfaoin** » Fri Jun 13, 2008 12:59 pm

kenny wrote:None of you people bought Julie's CDs, then ? Her 1st CD [ best CD of Scottish music I've heard in the last 10 years ] says on the back of the sleeve notes that she plays "Chris Abell high whistles". That was in
2005.

That's already been confirmed. What I'm curious about is the whistle that is
clearly not an Abell nor a Chieftain which she plays in several youtube vids.

mman · Post by **mman** » Sat Jun 14, 2008 3:02 pm

jemtheflute wrote:
mman wrote:it appears she's used others in the past.
Haven't we all?

But we are mere mortals, and she's a Gaelic Goddess.

kennychaffin · Post by **kennychaffin** » Sat Jun 14, 2008 5:06 pm

mman wrote:
jemtheflute wrote:
mman wrote:it appears she's used others in the past.
Haven't we all?
But we are mere mortals, and she's a Gaelic Goddess.

Good point.

Julie Fowlis · Post by **Julie Fowlis** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 5:18 pm

Hi folks, thought I would drop by since I was sent such a nice message about it

)

In the pictures at the beginning, from Cambridge Folk Festival, I was actually borrowing John McCusker's whistles for his commission piece "Under One Sky". I have since been lucky enough to receive some whistles from Phil Hardy so I play those low whistles, they are fab. I also have played a three-whistle wooden set of C, D and Eb made by Chris Abell for years now. I love them and find they suit the Highland/piping repertoire really well. A few years back I also received an amazing few improved Feadog whistles made by Cillian O'Briain from Co. Kerry, one made especially for me in E major (only the second one he ever made) as it suits my preferred singing keys, that is the one from the Transatlantic Sessions clip.

I also got a Dixon whistle at the Big Whistle Fest last month which is nice, but very different again. I think the different tones etc suit different types of tunes.

I hope some of that was of a wee bit interest! All the best and bye for now.

Julie x

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